• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Urban Farmie
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Resources
    • Gardening
    • Substitutes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Resources
    • Gardening
    • Substitutes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Techniques

    Published: June 24, 2022 | Last Modified: June 24, 2022 by Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju | This post may contain affiliate links. 💬 - 1 Comment

    How to Store Fresh Dill (and Dill Seeds!)

    Shares19FacebookPin19

    Dill is a great herb that brightens up any meal. If you grow your dill or even buy it from the store, you might want to know how to store fresh dill! Here are a few tips on keeping fresh dill so that it will last longer, without wilting or losing its flavor.

    Two panel collage with fresh dill on top and dried dill seed at the bottom with a text overlay of the title.

    Jump to:
    • Six ways to store fresh dill
    • How to Store Fresh Dill Seeds
    • FAQs 
    • Dill Recipes & Resources
    • 💬 Comments

    This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you're in a rush, please use the Table of Contents to jump to a specific section!

    This post might contain affiliate links. If you click on those and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Six ways to store fresh dill

    There are four ways of storing dill, depending on how you want to use it.

    • Bouquet method (for immediate use as fresh dill)
    • Refrigeration (most common, great when used fresh)
    • Freezing (longer shelf life, great for soups and stews)
    • Freezing in oil or butter (longer shelf life, great for sauteing)
    • Drying or dehydration (longest shelf life)
    • Preservation with salt (easiest, long shelf life, great flavor preservation)
    Table-style infographic summarizing six different ways to store fresh dill and the key uses for each method.

    Read on to find out about the different ways to store fresh dill below.

    Bouquet

    If you have fresh dill that you want to use soon, and want to preserve the freshness as much as possible, bundle it together and place it in a cup of water like a bouquet. Then, make sure you keep the water fresh as much as possible, changing it every time you use dill from the bouquet.

    Making such a bouquet can help retain its freshness for up to a week! It requires no extra equipment beyond a vase or jar, and is super quick. However, the downside is that dill starts to wilt after a few days, making it unsuitable for long-term preservation.

    Refrigeration

    Refrigeration is the most common way of storing dill. Before you put the dill in the fridge, remember not to wash it. Instead, wash the dill right before you need to use it. This will help avoid a situation where the dill starts to wilt due to excessive dampness. Of course, if you grow your own dill and it has bugs or dirt, wash it, and then make sure to dry it fully.

    Refrigerating the dill helps keep it fresh for longer, and preserves flavor much better. However, placing it directly in the refrigerator can make it quite limp, and the dill's flavor may change slightly after being stored in the fridge.

    Pro Tip: To avoid wilting, make a bouquet of dill, cover it with a plastic bag, and then place it in the fridge to extend shelf life!

    Freezing

    Freezing dill can help preserve the flavor and nutrients for a much longer time. There are two ways to freeze dill without additional ingredients (okay, well, maybe water, but that doesn't count right?!)

    1. If you choose to freeze it whole, after cleaning it, spread it out on a baking sheet and flash freeze it by placing it the freezer. This will help keep your dill crisp. After thirty minutes, remove the baking sheet from the freezer. Then, transfer all the dill into freezer bags for long-term storage. However, one drawback here is that the herb is difficult to chop and use in recipes.
    2. If you want to freeze smaller pieces of dill, cut it into smaller parts and freeze them in an ice cube tray. Add a bit of water to each ice cube tray along with smaller pieces of dill. Freeze, then put the ice cubes in freezer-safe bags! This helps solve the previous problem, but you have to use it in a more "liquid" dish.

    Freezing dill helps retains more flavor, so this method is great for soups and stews! This type of frozen dill can also last up to a year.

    Freezing in oil or butter

    Chopped dill in ice cubes, on a wooden cutting board, with knife next to it.

    Okay, this method is a bit of cheating! You can preserve dill by freezing it in oil or butter. This is great if you want to keep dill on hand for sauteing or infusing oil.

    Chop the dill and place it at the bottom of an ice cube tray. Then add oil or melted butter to cover the tray (similar to the ice cube method above). Then, freeze the ice cubes. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag. I really love using these ones because they actually stand up right in the freezer, which is great!

    When ready to use it, thaw and use as desired. Preserving dill in this way will keep it fresh for several months. Freezing dill this way helps retain its flavor for a longer period of time and it's a great way to infuse oil and really elevate dishes. However, it can get freezer burned, and it can be not easy to thaw out the dill once it is frozen. Plus, you can only use it in dishes where you are planning to use oil.

    Drying or dehydration

    Two panel collage, with dried dill weed on top, and dried dill seed on bottom.

    This is probably the most "dependable" strategies for preserving or storing fresh dill in the long-term.

    • You can go the food dehydrator route, which is great way for drying all kinds of things. However, you don't need a dehydrator to dry dill.
    • You can simply dry dill by hanging it upside down for several weeks if you don't have access to a dehydrator. 
    • You can also dry dill using an oven (set the oven to the lowest setting possible if it's under 200F, or preheat and then leave oven light on, and place the dill inside) or a microwave (microwave in bursts of 30 seconds).

    Dried dill leaves may be kept in an airtight container or a glass jar for 1 to 3 years!

    Dried dill has a far more concentrated flavor than fresh dill, so a little truly goes a long way. Additionally, it's extremely easy and convenient to dry your dill at home (a great way to just save fresh dill for a long time).

    On the other hand, it does lose some of its flavor and aroma (especially depending on what method you use to dry dill). If you're planning to use dried dill in a recipe that calls for fresh dill, make sure to taste test!

    P.S., check out this post on the best ways to dry dill if you want to do this.

    Preserving herbs with salt  

    One inexpensive and easy way to preserve fresh herbs is to use salt! It can help your herbs lower the levels of bacteria and keep out moisture. 

    To do this, first, wash and dry your dill thoroughly! Remove unwanted stalks and thick stems, and slice the leaves into small pieces. Add a layer of salt to cover the bottom of a clean glass jar.

    Note: I recommend using sea salt, kosher salt, canning salt or pickling salt. You could use table salt, but please make sure it's not iodized!  

    Add a layer of dill, then a layer of salt, and then repeat this again until the container is filled. Cover with a tight lid and place in the fridge. You'll notice that the herbs start to lose volume over time, and compress (within a day, my container was looking half full!)

    At this point, you can add more dill and more salt, and repeat this process until the jar is full again. Refrigerate.

    The next day, you will notice that the herbs lost volume, so the jar is filled only half now. Keep adding salt and new fresh herbs until you fill the jar up again. Refrigerate. Then, finally, when you're done adding dill, add salt to cover the top layer (so it's not exposed to air) and you're done.

    You will notice that there will be "dill juice" or "dill brine" at the bottom, but this is totally normal. When ready to use, rinse the salt under cold water and use as you normally would. However, make sure you adjust the amount of salt in the recipe you're cooking (the dill will already be quite salty!) You can also use the salt from the dill jar in cooking.

    This method preserves the dill (and infused salt!) for several months. It's not time-consuming, it doesn't need to be stored in a freezer, and salted dill retains more color and better texture! However, you are limited in the number of recipes that you can use your dill on if you don't intend to add salt to your dish.

    Tips for preserving dill in salt:

    1. You don't have to refrigerate the dill if you have a cool, dark place (e.g., a pantry, basement or cellar). But I live in a tiny townhouse in Seattle, so a fridge is my next best option!
    2. You can pack the herbs as much as you want within the jar. I always try to fill up my jar to the brim (it'll keep compressing, but at some point, you simply won't be able to add any more - then you're done!) But you can fill it up as much as you want. Just make sure you salt the top layer.

    How to Store Fresh Dill Seeds

    We talked a lot about dill leaves, but what about dill seeds? Dill seeds give soups and stews an amazing amount of flavor! So, don't worry, we have you covered there too!

    Once the seed on dill plants turn brown, you can collect them. Harvest the seed by cutting off the ripe seed heads from the dill plants. Place them in a brown paper bag in a warm, dry place, ideally upside down.

    After a week, you'll need to sift the seeds to eliminate any extra plant parts. Let the seeds stay in the paper bag for another week to dry. Then, simply place the dried dill seeds in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Keep them somewhere cool and dry for up to six months!

    FAQs 

    How do you store fresh dill long term? 

    Freezing and drying dill is the most effective method of preserving its fresh flavor over an extended period of time.

    Can you freeze fresh dill for later use?

    Yes, you can freeze dill (either whole, or in water, or in oil) for later use! Read the post for more details.

    How long will fresh dill last in the freezer?

    When stored in the freezer, fresh dill will last for up to one year (or at least six months, depending on how you freeze it).

    Is it better to freeze or dry dill? 

    I do both! Dry dill can last 1-3 years, and is very versatile with more concentrated flavor. However, frozen dill tends to retain more of the "fresh" flavor and is much better in a lot of preparations. So, one is not necessarily better than the other! If you have limited freezer space, just go ahead and dry the dill!

    Dill Recipes & Resources

    If you're looking for some great recipes to use fresh dill in, look no more.

    • Use dill seeds to make this delicious, "everything" butter, that you can then promptly slather on ... everything. Wink.
    • Use fresh dill to make some amazing dill seasoning or this incredible egg salad with dill and rocket for a tangy treat!

    Hope this post was helpful in answering all your questions on how to store fresh dill! If you have a moment, leave a comment on what your favorite method is, or if you have any additional tips to share!

    « Croissant French Toast Bake
    Pesto Salad Dressing (Vinaigrette & Creamy Versions!) »

    Download your seasonal eating guide!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Melody Chen

      September 21, 2022 at 4:25 pm

      Given that I can only find huge bundles of fresh dill at the grocery stores, this was a helpful read. I'm actually using the refrigeration method you mentioned but I'm going to try the freezer / oil & butter freezer method next time! 🙂

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Shruthi Baskaran - Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, and Blogger at Urban Farmie

    I am Shruthi, the recipe developer, photographer and blogger behind Urban Farmie. I have two graduate degrees from Stanford, one focused on food systems. And I hope to bring you everything you need for healthy-ish, comforting, nourishing vegetarian cooking.

    Read more →

    Recipe Key

    Dairy free
    Gluten free
    Nut free
    Vegan
    Vegetarian

    Fall Favorites

    • Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
    • No Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Thai Curried Butternut Squash Soup
    • Ethiopian Cabbage
    year-round produce guide

    Get Every Recipe To Your Inbox!

    As Seen On

    Footer

    Urban Farmie

    Urban Farmie

    Seasonal, global, vegetarian recipes and the stories behind them. Inspired by life and travels to 60+ countries. Always authentic, never boring.

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Popular Posts

    Nigerian Jollof Rice

    Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

    Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread (or Quiche!)

    Chana Masala

    Healthy Samosas

    Moroccan Shakshuka

    Back To Top

    Copyright Black Bicycle LLC. © 2023
    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Disclosure Policy | Website Accessibility Statement